Rugby: Wales lacked mastery of the basics

Pass and catch - the two most basic skills of rugby, and two skills that seemed to elude Wales as they slumped to their sixth loss in a row, succumbing 33-10 to a clinical All Black team.

It was these basic skills that really were the difference between the two teams, as Wales lacked the ability to hold onto the ball for any length of time. Poor handling, inaccurate kicking and an inability to manipulate numbers effectively ensured Wales were chasing the game after securing enough possession and territory to threaten in the first half.

In contrast the All Blacks were able to make the most of their opportunities, create something from nothing and take the sting out of the Welsh challenge.

Chances were few in this game, as Wales did a good job of defending from set play, but the All Blacks persisted and were dangerous on the counter, where they always had their opposition on the ropes.

They shot out to a 23-0 lead in the first half, effectively taking the game away from Wales. A physical first 20 saw them kick three penalties and gain a lead, and in the second 20 they began to fire and scored two outstanding tries.

But we can talk about the great start, the lethal counterattack, the dominant scrum and the steely defence of the All Blacks all we want. What will remain the talking point of the game was a moment which occurred in the first minute, when Andrew Hore took out Welsh lock Bradley Davies in what was the most recent in a long series of cheap shots in recent times.

The act will be condemned by the New Zealand public, as it wasn't dissimilar to those All Black captain Richie McCaw has been on the receiving end of in recent years.

We can also expect it to be condemned by the IRB, who will once again be put under the spotlight as they set to hand out what they deem an appropriate punishment.

The inconsistencies in these decisions over the past 12 months have been a key theme, making it hard to predict what sort of ban Hore will receive.

But back to the game. The All Blacks were met by a physical Welsh team which was up for the challenge, and the physical nature of the game was soon made clear, as Wales players began dropping like flies, losing three men before the break. They were passionate as always and even after trailing by 33-0, were able to fight back and score two tries in the final 20 minutes.

They looked to bomb the All Blacks back three early, targeting the dangerous Julian Savea, who looked shaky. But you kick back to the All Blacks at your peril. Savea tapped back to Israel Dagg who broke four tackles and made the break which led to a brilliant try in the opposite corner to Liam Messam.

From there on the All Blacks began to look more polished as the back three looked lively on the counterattack, whilst the midfield too looked dangerous running. With ball in hand they didn't play an overly expansive game, often looking to kick in behind the Welsh backline and chasing hard to pin them inside their own 22.

The second half saw them forced to defend for lengthy periods as they struggled to control the ball as they had in the first half. But they performed well, withstanding several waves of attack before finally being pushed over by a 13 man drive.

The pick of the All Black forwards was once again Richie McCaw, who was outstanding on defence and covered for other's mistakes on multiple occasions.

Liam Messam had a strong game too, being physical on defence and running the ball well. Both locks were busy, while the front row was dominant at scrum time.

In the backs Aaron Cruden kicked well, while Conrad Smith was every bit as good as McCaw, tidying up a lot of ball and was safe on defence. Julian Savea was dangerous running, and Israel Dagg showed himself to be lethal in space.